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DALLAS TWP. — When 14-year-old Sawyer Christman looks at the sky, he sees a place he knows better than most teenagers.

Sawyer is a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, an organization that’s taken him into the sky and helped him grow as a person and leader.

He’s spent time at camps in the woods and inside airplanes that he’s helped to pilot. He’s experienced and seen a lot along the way.

“There’s an expression: Drive a mile, see a mile. Fly a mile, you see the world,” he said. “And it’s pretty true; you get to see a ton of stuff and the views are amazing.”

The expression refers specifically to the experience of flying, but the air patrol has shown Sawyer a lot on the ground too.

He was 10 years old when he learned about the Civil Air Patrol at an air show, two years away from being able to join the organization. When his 12th birthday came, he remembered to ask his parents to sign him up.

Now, he’s working toward holding more responsibility and becoming an officer with the group. He appreciates the military connection, the chance to fly and the other things the organization offers.

The Civil Air Patrol formed during World War II to help protect the United States from attack. Today, the organization focuses on three missions: aerospace education, emergency services and the cadet program that Sawyer participates in.

His favorite part of being a cadet has been getting to experience different things with the patrol. Cadets learn about safety, aerospace education, physical fitness and character development at weekly meetings. He’s been to the Hawk Mountain Ranger Training School, a wilderness search and rescue training camp in Berks County.

The Dallas Middle School student has also flown several times, and is a good candidate to join a glider flight program in the future, said Major Glenn Carman of the Civil Air Patrol Scranton Composite Squadron 201.

Sawyer is a motivated and capable cadet, and he’s been able to learn quickly and overcome difficulties.

“I’ve always had this saying with cadets, ‘We’re all going to fail at one point. If you’re going to fail and fall down, fall forward,’” Carman said. “You pick yourself up, ask what did I do wrong, figure it out and carry on.”

Sawyer can learn from mistakes, and when he works with younger cadets, he instills that behavior in them as well, Carman said.

“He has a great attitude,” he said.

Sawyer’s advice to other students working toward a goal is to not give up, to understand what their goals are as best they can and to get help with those goals. He also recommends kids his age try out the Civil Air Patrol, the organization that’s helped him take to the sky.

Contact the writer:

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillW

Paul and Nicole Burke, parents

What successful parenting strategy can you share with other parents?

Let your child try many different activities until they find the one that is a good fit for them. While it’s important to be involved, we always try to carve out some family time so they also learn the importance of family.

At what moment did you realize your child was special?

We have four children and they are all special. Sawyer has always wanted to try new things and have new experiences. When he was 10 years old, we saw a Civil Air Patrol information table at an air show. He decided that day that as soon as he turned twelve, he would join that organization. Two years later, he retrieved the flyer he got at that show and reminded us that he was now old enough to join. That’s when we called and got him started in the program.

What is the greatest challenge you’ve encountered in raising your child?

It’s difficult to find a balance between school and all the other after-school activities he wants to be involved in. Sometimes we need to say no to some activities just so we can fit everything in.